Unbelievable.
Via Rupar:
46 House Republicans voted to defund NATO two days before the 80th anniversary of D-Day
@GottaLaff What does that even mean? NATO isn't a country club nor is it an American entity.
@mikenoe @GottaLaff yeah, wondering this too: the main "funding" we do wrt. NATO is on our defense, which we of course do way more than any other country in NATO. Not really sure what this reduction in spending would do, at the end of the day.
@ech @mikenoe @GottaLaff It probably is the funding of the HQ and administration, that budget is far smaller than the defense budget as such. But still important to the organization of course. These Russian operatives in Congress, why is nothing done to stop them?
@toriver @mikenoe @GottaLaff well, one problem is people keep labeling them as pro-Russian, when actually I think the main thing here is people just don't want to be funding foreign wars. We've caused a lot of pain over the decades doing this, and I think lots of folks are wary of that.
I mean, I'm sure there are some russophiles or whatever, but that isn't, I think, the main thing going on. Point being: if you want voters to elect a congress willing to fund Ukraine, don't do that, instead the place to argue is about why we should fund a war – even a righteous cause – halfway around the world.
To me, I feel like the main thing is we need to either go all in and get it over with or stop funding altogether. The strategy we've taken of only giving Ukr. just enough to hold on seems designed to maximize death and suffering. Also Germany and the rest of Europe absolutely can and should take care of this, not us. Let us save up for Taiwan instead.
@toriver @mikenoe @GottaLaff FSB? I don't think they want Western Europe spending more on defense so they can prop up Ukraine?
You don't think the US will help Taiwan? I mean I hope it doesn't come to that, of course, and I suspect you might be right that China won't invade them if that's what you mean. But if they did I bet we would help; if only to secure a supply of semiconductors.
@ech @mikenoe @GottaLaff Well that was some propaganda straight from the FSB. And right after D-day commemorations too. Anyway, European countries are doing lots and no, you will not do anything in Taiwan.